"They're so thick out here, it's unbelievable," Jorgenson, 58, said of the mountain lions he blames for "wiping out" the deer population around his home near the 1,700-resident town of Watford City. "Two years ago, it'd be nothing to see 200 to 300 mule deer out there; this past winter, we never saw more than 20. We have carcasses all over where they've been killed."

I probably encountered one eight years ago in NW Missouri. Came across a clearing that had been completely carpeted by deer fur with the remains(bones) of at least three deer (found five scapulas). It is my understanding that cougars will lick the fur off of the carcass and I can't imagine any other predator doing what I found. A bobcat might snag a young deer, but these looked like adult bones and three of them dragged back to the same spot - no, not a bobcat. And humans don't shave and dismember their kills in the field - when I hunt all I leave is a pile of internal organs for the scavengers to nosh on.

That, and I got 'meowed' at from a nearby stream that was sunk into the ground. Didn't stick around to find out what goes 'ergggh rah' that I can hear from 50' away.

Jubeebee:"They're so thick out here, it's unbelievable," Jorgenson, 58, said of the mountain lions he blames for "wiping out" the deer population around his home near the 1,700-resident town of Watford City. "Two years ago, it'd be nothing to see 200 to 300 mule deer out there; this past winter, we never saw more than 20. We have carcasses all over where they've been killed."

Working as intended, asshole.

Yeah, no shiat. Deer populations aren't supposed to be that high.

Also, here's hoping one of them eats my neighbor's yappy little ankle-biter that he leaves out all night.

Jubeebee:"They're so thick out here, it's unbelievable," Jorgenson, 58, said of the mountain lions he blames for "wiping out" the deer population around his home near the 1,700-resident town of Watford City. "Two years ago, it'd be nothing to see 200 to 300 mule deer out there; this past winter, we never saw more than 20. We have carcasses all over where they've been killed."

Working as intended, asshole.

I can not stress this enough. You are dead wrong. If your mulei pop is dropping that fast, you have a predator problem.

madgonad:I probably encountered one eight years ago in NW Missouri. Came across a clearing that had been completely carpeted by deer fur with the remains(bones) of at least three deer (found five scapulas). It is my understanding that cougars will lick the fur off of the carcass and I can't imagine any other predator doing what I found. A bobcat might snag a young deer, but these looked like adult bones and three of them dragged back to the same spot - no, not a bobcat. And humans don't shave and dismember their kills in the field - when I hunt all I leave is a pile of internal organs for the scavengers to nosh on.

That, and I got 'meowed' at from a nearby stream that was sunk into the ground. Didn't stick around to find out what goes 'ergggh rah' that I can hear from 50' away.

I remember seeing cougar tracks on my grahams farm in north central Kansas when i was 10. I was visiting for the week. When i asked her what kind of animal made them she explained to me what a cougar was. Didn't sleep at all that night haha.

While i have never seen one, a lot of my family that lives up there has. But none recently, the last time anyone up there has seen one was at least 14 years ago.

My dad and brother got to see one up close last year. We were up at a cabin in the mountains (I was inside taking a piss, goddamn it), and my brother saw two deer crashing through the woods and across the road about 50 feet away from him. He yells out as he sees them, my dad turns around in time for them both to see a mountain lion going full bore along the same path. Made virtually no noise, and it was a very big cat. Left them quite speechless.

This was in NC, near Boone, where they're supposedly extinct, though people see them on a fairly regular basis. The popular explanation is that the government maintains the extinct classification to dissuade poachers.

And about 15 minutes later, a dog came along sniffing the trail. For his sake, I hope he never found the thing.

King_Dude610:madgonad: I probably encountered one eight years ago in NW Missouri. Came across a clearing that had been completely carpeted by deer fur with the remains(bones) of at least three deer (found five scapulas). It is my understanding that cougars will lick the fur off of the carcass and I can't imagine any other predator doing what I found. A bobcat might snag a young deer, but these looked like adult bones and three of them dragged back to the same spot - no, not a bobcat. And humans don't shave and dismember their kills in the field - when I hunt all I leave is a pile of internal organs for the scavengers to nosh on.

That, and I got 'meowed' at from a nearby stream that was sunk into the ground. Didn't stick around to find out what goes 'ergggh rah' that I can hear from 50' away.

I remember seeing cougar tracks on my grahams farm in north central Kansas when i was 10. I was visiting for the week. When i asked her what kind of animal made them she explained to me what a cougar was. Didn't sleep at all that night haha.

While i have never seen one, a lot of my family that lives up there has. But none recently, the last time anyone up there has seen one was at least 14 years ago.

Yeah, since then I have had kids. I have.... not been taking them hiking there since. It is fairly remote, unlike the well traveled area that we do hike. Four and six year olds still fall under the 'meal' category for cougars. I know that they would avoid me, but if they just saw a kid they might investigate. And I really don't want to have to shoot one. That would be terrible.

J. Frank Parnell:pxsteel: I can not stress this enough. You are dead wrong. If your mulei pop is dropping that fast, you have a predator problem.

And the predator population will level off as their food source dwindles.

Again, working as intended.

The deer will also adapt. After a century of not having to worry about big cats, the deer's behavior changed. Over time the deer will relearn how to live with predation. This happened in Yellow Stone, when they reintroduced the wolves. Prey species there became more cautious and learned to take better advantage of camouflage.

Fish in a Barrel:J. Frank Parnell: pxsteel: I can not stress this enough. You are dead wrong. If your mulei pop is dropping that fast, you have a predator problem.

And the predator population will level off as their food source dwindles.

Again, working as intended.

The deer will also adapt. After a century of not having to worry about big cats, the deer's behavior changed. Over time the deer will relearn how to live with predation. This happened in Yellow Stone, when they reintroduced the wolves. Prey species there became more cautious and learned to take better advantage of camouflage.

They introduced what they thought was the proper pop of wolves to Yellow Stone. Mule deer are large animals, think Elk not whitetail. If your Muleis are dropping that fast, that means you may have 5 or 6 family groups in an area that can only support 2.

You have a predator problem. You are taking the chance of them wiping out multiple species.

pxsteel:Jubeebee: "They're so thick out here, it's unbelievable," Jorgenson, 58, said of the mountain lions he blames for "wiping out" the deer population around his home near the 1,700-resident town of Watford City. "Two years ago, it'd be nothing to see 200 to 300 mule deer out there; this past winter, we never saw more than 20. We have carcasses all over where they've been killed."

Working as intended, asshole.

I can not stress this enough. You are dead wrong. If your mulei pop is dropping that fast, you have a predator problem.

You have a deer problem. It could be predators, weather, starvation from deer overrunning food supplies, or most likely a combination.

They starve quite quickly if that is the cause, faster than losses to predators, which usually starve just after.

pxsteel:Fish in a Barrel: J. Frank Parnell: pxsteel: I can not stress this enough. You are dead wrong. If your mulei pop is dropping that fast, you have a predator problem.

And the predator population will level off as their food source dwindles.

Again, working as intended.

The deer will also adapt. After a century of not having to worry about big cats, the deer's behavior changed. Over time the deer will relearn how to live with predation. This happened in Yellow Stone, when they reintroduced the wolves. Prey species there became more cautious and learned to take better advantage of camouflage.

They introduced what they thought was the proper pop of wolves to Yellow Stone. Mule deer are large animals, think Elk not whitetail. If your Muleis are dropping that fast, that means you may have 5 or 6 family groups in an area that can only support 2.

You have a predator problem. You are taking the chance of them wiping out multiple species.

Mule deer aren't that much bigger than white tails, and elk are almost twice as big on average as mule deer.

cptjeff:This was in NC, near Boone, where they're supposedly extinct, though people see them on a fairly regular basis. The popular explanation is that the government maintains the extinct classification to dissuade poachers.

I saw a big cat in the woods along the Appalachian Trail west of Pearisburg, Va.The official stance is that there are no mountain lions in Virginia and if there are, they are escapees from people who kept them illegally.

I think it's about liability. If the state admits they have lions, they'll have to cook up a whole public safety/awareness/control/abatement/control programs and the moment a kid or some jogger gets taken by a lion, the fur will fly.

Best for them to just do the "La-la-la, I can't hear you!" routine.If they say there are no mountain lions, there are no mountain lions.Got it, citizen?

redmid17:pxsteel: Fish in a Barrel: J. Frank Parnell: pxsteel: I can not stress this enough. You are dead wrong. If your mulei pop is dropping that fast, you have a predator problem.

And the predator population will level off as their food source dwindles.

Again, working as intended.

The deer will also adapt. After a century of not having to worry about big cats, the deer's behavior changed. Over time the deer will relearn how to live with predation. This happened in Yellow Stone, when they reintroduced the wolves. Prey species there became more cautious and learned to take better advantage of camouflage.

They introduced what they thought was the proper pop of wolves to Yellow Stone. Mule deer are large animals, think Elk not whitetail. If your Muleis are dropping that fast, that means you may have 5 or 6 family groups in an area that can only support 2.

You have a predator problem. You are taking the chance of them wiping out multiple species.

Mule deer aren't that much bigger than white tails, and elk are almost twice as big on average as mule deer.

Mule deer in my state are much closer to Elk than they are to the grey ghost

pxsteel:redmid17: pxsteel: Fish in a Barrel: J. Frank Parnell: pxsteel: I can not stress this enough. You are dead wrong. If your mulei pop is dropping that fast, you have a predator problem.

And the predator population will level off as their food source dwindles.

Again, working as intended.

The deer will also adapt. After a century of not having to worry about big cats, the deer's behavior changed. Over time the deer will relearn how to live with predation. This happened in Yellow Stone, when they reintroduced the wolves. Prey species there became more cautious and learned to take better advantage of camouflage.

They introduced what they thought was the proper pop of wolves to Yellow Stone. Mule deer are large animals, think Elk not whitetail. If your Muleis are dropping that fast, that means you may have 5 or 6 family groups in an area that can only support 2.

You have a predator problem. You are taking the chance of them wiping out multiple species.

Mule deer aren't that much bigger than white tails, and elk are almost twice as big on average as mule deer.

Mule deer in my state are much closer to Elk than they are to the grey ghost

Whitetail 100-175Mule 300-450Elk 400-700

Then you're mule deer are 2-3x heavier than normal. That weight range for mule deer would be on the extreme end even for bucks. There can't be that many trophy deer in your state.

cptjeff:My dad and brother got to see one up close last year. We were up at a cabin in the mountains (I was inside taking a piss, goddamn it), and my brother saw two deer crashing through the woods and across the road about 50 feet away from him. He yells out as he sees them, my dad turns around in time for them both to see a mountain lion going full bore along the same path. Made virtually no noise, and it was a very big cat. Left them quite speechless.

This was in NC, near Boone, where they're supposedly extinct, though people see them on a fairly regular basis. The popular explanation is that the government maintains the extinct classification to dissuade poachers.

And about 15 minutes later, a dog came along sniffing the trail. For his sake, I hope he never found the thing.